Kia Ray Export From Korea: Box-Car Buyer's Guide (2026)

A Kia Ray export from Korea typically costs $4,000 to $11,000 FOB for petrol and LPG models, with the cargo Ray Van from about $3,500 and the new-generation Ray EV from around $12,000. The Ray is a 1.0-litre A-segment "box car" — a tall, square city runabout built on the Kia Morning platform, with a signature curb-side sliding door and a cabin far bigger than its 3.6-metre length suggests. It is one of the cheapest, most space-efficient Korean cars you can import, and SH GLOBAL sources these Kia box cars directly, so buyers skip dealer markups.

What Is the Kia Ray?

The Kia Ray is an A-segment tall city car that Kia has built since 2011, based on the same platform as the Kia Morning (Picanto). Its nickname — the box car (박스카) — comes from its shape: an upright roof, near-vertical sides, and a flat floor that turn a tiny footprint into a surprisingly roomy four-seat cabin. At roughly 3.6 metres long it parks in spaces a normal hatchback can't touch, yet passengers sit tall with generous headroom.

The Ray's standout feature is its curb-side sliding door with no B-pillar: open the front and rear doors together and you get a wide, unobstructed opening that makes loading cargo, child seats, or elderly passengers effortless in tight streets. That practicality made the Ray a runaway domestic hit — a default choice for city commuters, new drivers, seniors, and small businesses. According to KAMA classification, it sits in Korea's light-car (경차) segment, which carries tax and toll benefits at home and helped keep it in continuous production for well over a decade.

For export buyers, the appeal mirrors that domestic success. A Kia Ray export from Korea delivers city-friendly size, low running costs, and a huge, well-maintained used pool — exactly the profile SH GLOBAL serves across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia. And because the Ray is still in production, both older bargains and near-new units are available.

Kia Ray Specs & Variants

Before you request a quote, it helps to know which powertrain and body you need. The Ray comes in three main flavors — petrol, LPG bi-fuel, and (in its new generation) full electric — plus the commercial Ray Van. All share the same box body and factory left-hand-drive layout.

Engine & Drivetrain (1.0 Kappa & LPG)

Petrol and LPG Rays use a 1.0-litre Kappa three-cylinder engine producing about 76 hp, driving the front wheels through a 4-speed automatic. It is not fast, but it is frugal and virtually bulletproof — real-world economy commonly lands around 13–15 km/L. A large share of Korean-market units are factory LPG bi-fuel, a major advantage in markets where autogas is far cheaper than petrol and where simple mechanicals matter for local servicing.

Kia Ray Van (Cargo)

The Kia Ray Van is a 1- or 2-seat cargo version with the rear seats deleted for a flat load bay — a favorite of Korean couriers and micro-businesses. It keeps the same 1.0 Kappa petrol or LPG engine and low FOB, making it one of the most economical small delivery vehicles you can import. If your route is short, urban, and cost-sensitive, the Ray Van is a natural fit; for heavier duty, see the broader options in our best Korean used cars for export ranking.

Kia Ray EV (New Generation)

Kia relaunched the Ray EV in 2023 with a 35.2 kWh battery and an official range of about 205 km — a genuine, affordable electric box car. For cities tightening emissions rules or offering EV incentives, the Ray EV is a compelling small-delivery and short-commute vehicle. Note that the original 2011–2018 Ray EV had a much smaller battery and very limited range, so confirm the generation and battery health carefully before buying an early electric unit.

Kia Ray FOB Prices From Korea (2026)

Price is the headline reason to consider a Kia Ray export from Korea. Because the Ray is a small light-car with a deep used supply, FOB values stay low across most variants; only the new EV climbs into higher territory. The chart below shows typical FOB Busan ranges — final pricing depends on year, mileage, condition, and options.

One reason traders like the Ray is container math: because each unit is so compact, several Rays can share a single 40-foot container, spreading ocean freight across multiple vehicles and lowering the per-unit landed cost. That efficiency, combined with a low duty base on a small-engine car, keeps the total delivered cost modest. For everything you add on top of FOB, walk through the shipping and duty steps in our Central Asia market guide.

Kia Ray vs Morning vs Damas

How does the Ray compare with its closest siblings and rivals — the conventional Kia Morning hatchback and the Chevrolet Damas microvan? The table below covers the figures export buyers ask about most.

The takeaway: the Ray sits between the Morning and the Damas. It offers more usable space and easier access than a Morning hatchback thanks to the box body and sliding door, while being a more comfortable, better-equipped passenger car than a bare-bones Damas microvan. If you want the cheapest possible people-mover, the Chevrolet Damas export guide covers that end; if you want a modern city car with real refinement, the Ray wins. Buyers who want to browse live stock can see Kia models currently available.

Why the Kia Ray Works for Central Asia & Cities

The Ray's strengths line up almost perfectly with dense urban markets, and nowhere more than Central Asia. In Tashkent, Bishkek, and Almaty, the same forces that make small Korean cars sell — narrow streets, fuel-cost sensitivity, and a shortage of affordable, well-built runabouts — play directly to a car like the Ray. Our best Korean cars for Uzbekistan guide explains how Korea-direct sourcing fills gaps the local supply leaves open, and the Ray fits that logic cleanly.

The reasons stack up quickly:

• Right size for dense cities: A sub-3.6-metre box parks anywhere and threads narrow lanes with ease.
• Left-hand drive from the factory: The Korean Ray is LHD, matching Central Asia, the Middle East, and continental Africa with no conversion.
• Cheap to run: LPG bi-fuel plus a frugal 1.0L engine keeps daily costs low; the EV cuts them further where charging exists.
• Simple to fix: The Kappa engine is robust and shares parts across the Morning family, so any local workshop can maintain it.
• Space beyond its footprint: The tall roof and sliding door make it a genuine four-seat car — or a handy micro-cargo hauler as the Ray Van.

Beyond Central Asia, the Ray and Ray Van appear in African and Middle Eastern cities as economical private cars and last-mile delivery vehicles, where low purchase price and fuel economy beat larger, thirstier alternatives. SH GLOBAL regularly consolidates these small vehicles for traders serving multiple regions from a single container.

How to Export a Kia Ray From Korea

Exporting a Ray follows the same clear path as any Korean used vehicle. Because SH GLOBAL handles sourcing, inspection, de-registration, and shipping in-house, the buyer's job is mostly choosing the spec and confirming payment. Here is the five-step flow.

Payment is usually a reservation deposit to lock the unit, followed by the balance before shipping. SH GLOBAL prepares the export de-registration (말소등록), the export declaration filed with the Korea Customs Service, and the bill of lading. For landlocked Central Asia, we route via rail and road from Busan — typically 35 to 65 days to a named dry port such as Tashkent or Almaty. New to the process? Start with our step-by-step export to Central Asia walkthrough.

What to Check Before You Buy a Used Kia Ray

Most exportable Rays are city cars with stop-start urban lives, so a careful pre-purchase inspection matters. The mechanicals are simple and cheap to fix, but catching issues before shipping saves money and time. SH GLOBAL includes a condition-and-mileage report with every quote, and these are the points our inspectors focus on:

• LPG system integrity: On bi-fuel units, confirm the tank certification date and check for leaks or corroded lines — the single most important item on an LPG Ray.
• Sliding door mechanism: The curb-side sliding door and pillarless opening cycle constantly on delivery and city cars — make sure it runs smoothly, latches fully, and seals against water.
• Mileage vs. condition: Cross-check the odometer against the Korean performance inspection record; interior wear should match the reading.
• EV battery health: On a Ray EV, request the battery state-of-health (SoH) figure and confirm which generation it is — early EVs had tiny batteries and short range.
• Transmission and idle: Test the 4-speed automatic for clean shifts and a steady idle from the small three-cylinder engine.
• Body and underbody: Check sills, wheel arches, and the flat floor for rust, especially on ex-commercial Ray Van units.

None of these should scare you off — the Ray is one of the easiest small cars in the world to maintain. The goal is simply to buy the best example in the price band, which is exactly what direct sourcing from Korean auctions lets SH GLOBAL do. If you are weighing several variants, ask for photos and reports on two or three units and pick the strongest.

Age Limits, Emissions & Import Notes

Because the Ray has been produced since 2011, you can find both older, very cheap units and near-new examples — so matching the car's age to your destination's rules is key. Many Central Asian and African markets impose no strict age cap, which suits older, low-cost Rays. Others (parts of the GCC and East Africa) enforce 5- to 8-year limits that can rule out earlier cars. Always confirm your country's rule before ordering.

• Age limit: Older Rays suit no-age-limit markets; for GCC/East Africa, choose a newer unit within the cap.
• Emissions: The small petrol/LPG engine is clean and simple, but EAEU members may require Euro-standard documentation at registration; the EV sidesteps emissions rules entirely.
• Steering: Factory LHD — no conversion for left-hand-drive countries; no factory RHD Ray exists.
• Duties: A small 1.0L engine keeps the duty base low in most engine-scaled tariff systems.

For the widest choice and the sharpest pricing on a Kia Ray export from Korea, work with an exporter that sources directly from Korean auctions and dealers. As a Korean used car exporter with multilingual support and direct sourcing, SH GLOBAL Co., Ltd. specializes in exactly the small, high-value city vehicles — from the Ray and Ray Van to the new Ray EV — that keep Central Asian and African cities moving.